Passenger consumer rights when travelling to the EU after Brexit
Your rights as a passenger after the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020).
What may change for UK citizens travelling as passengers to EU after the UK leaves the EU
UK citizens planning a trip to the EU and EEA before 29 March 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020) do not need to take action. In the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020), some things may change for passengers travelling to and within the EU and EEA.
Stay informed
Some of these requirements may change depending on the terms that the UK leaves the EU. Bookmark and revisit this web page or sign up for email alerts to stay up to date.
Consumer rights for all passengers travelling to the EU from the UK
From 29 March 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020), if there is no EU Exit deal, your consumer rights in regards to travelling will remain largely unchanged.
You will have the same rights under UK law in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or long delay of passenger air, rail, road or sea services. For EUregistered passenger transport operators, EU law will continue to apply in respect of journeys to and from the EU.
Credit cards
Under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act, credit cards (but not debit or charge cards) offer you some protection if your holiday company goes out of business. Under the act, passengers should be able to get their money back for payments on their credit cards between £100 and £30,000. Credit card issuers will not help passengers get home if they are abroad when a travel company goes out of business.
ABTA protection
A package holiday booked with an Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) member including travel by flight, coach or train has both financial and legal protection. The travel company is responsible for making sure that passengers get the holiday they paid for. If something isn’t provided or isn’t as expected, the travel company or its suppliers are at fault, they will need to resolve the issue by offering an alternative or providing a full or partial refund. In some instances passengers may be able to claim compensation.
Ticket terms and conditions
Passengers should examine and ensure that they understand the terms and conditions of their booking. Passengers are responsible for ensuring that their ticket terms and conditions are sufficient to cover possible disruption.
Travel insurance
Passengers should ensure that they have appropriate travel insurance. Passengers are responsible for ensuring that they understand the terms and conditions of their travel insurance policy, and that the policy is sufficient to cover possible disruption.
If you already have travel insurance, your insurer should let you know if there will be any changes to the way your policy is serviced that will affect you after the UK leaves the EU. If you have questions about what your travel insurance policy covers, or whether the policy is sufficient to cover possible disruption, you may wish to contact your insurer.
- Advice to consider when looking for travel insurance
- Foreign travel insurance
- Travel insurance checklist
See also
